Elora said, âIâll prepare a meal for you during the New Year, and you can go to the hotel to meet
your family. Iâll cover all the expenses for them in Annenburg. How does that sound?â
Tatum replied, âThank you for thinking about me, Miss. My grandma is over 80 but still strong
enough to fly. However, my family is large, and it would be difficult for everyone to travel together.
Itâs alrightâIâll tell them I wonât be home this year, and the elders will understand.â
He had already thought this through before arriving. His family had expected him to miss the New
Year this time. Next year, he planned to bring Elora home to finalize their marriage. His grandmother
had given them a year to grow closer, and he was confident that time would be enough.
âAs for the New Yearâs salary,â Tatum continued, âpay me whatever you think is fair. Iâm your chef,
responsible for your meals. Itâs normal for people in this line of work to work through the holidays.â
Elora responded, âIâll pay you five times the normal salary since youâre giving up your vacation. Give
me your home address so I can send New Year gifts to your family.â
âThank you, Miss, but thatâs not necessary,â Tatum replied, though he still wrote down an address
on a piece of paper and handed it to her. âMy home is far from the city center, and itâs not easy to
receive deliveries there. You can send it to my company, and my secretary will forward it to my
family.â
Although he couldnât bring his fiancée home this year, he could at least s from Elora to his
family, giving them a glimpse of their future daughter-in-lawâs kindness. Elora took the note with
Tatumâs company address and recognized it from her earlier investigation. She was reassured that
Tatum was being truthful.
When the rest of the family heard Tatum wasnât going home for New Year, they all breathed a sigh
of relief, knowing they wouldnât have to travel to Wiltspoon for the holiday.
In Jensburg, preparations were underway at the Farrell family mansion for the big dinner that
evening. Many relatives were helping out, eager to stay for the event. They noticed that the
matriarch, Farrell, had invited only the most capable family members, leaving out those who, while
older, werenât as skilled. Some saw this as favoritism toward the family head.
Audrey, the eldest daughter of the previous matriarch, was also expected at the dinner. Though
many hadnât met her, they had heard stories of her successes in Wiltspoon and were eager to see
her in person. Those who had met her praised her as being as capable as her mother, perhaps
even more so than the current matriarch, Kathryn. There was speculation about whether Kathryn
could hold onto her role if Audrey returned to the family.
By 4 p.m., the mansionâs doors were open, ready to welcome Audrey and her entourage. However,
the first to arrive were reporters from the local media.
Clarissa, who had been in the mansion all day, was visibly annoyed when she heard the news. Her
expression was so cold it seemed she could kill a mosquito with a glance. She asked the butler
sharply, âWho invited the media here?â